


Burning and Rebuilding

by burner-phone (stifled_genius)



Series: Millicent Brings These Fools Together [2]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Armitage Hux, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rewrite, Sequel, Slightly less slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-04-23 21:29:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19159348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stifled_genius/pseuds/burner-phone
Summary: **yes this is rewrite**Without the Order, Kylo and Hux have to form some structure of their ownIt goes about as well as you'd expect





	1. Prologue

Zara watched the two men board Novik’s ship, watched the interactions between them, the slight way Kylo turned towards the ginger, and the way the gingers gaze held onto Kylo when he thought the other man wasn’t looking.

“Weak. You have become weak.” Her fingers twirled a coarse black braid. “Putting your heart in the hands of another.” Those very same words had been used against her following Elire’s last excursion as a Knight.

Elire.

It had taken years for Zara to properly bury all feeling towards the younger girl she’d had. It had been easier under the constant mental barrage from Snoke, but repressed memories and feelings had swelled to fill the void created by his absence.

Elire’s hand had been the hand that held hers on the journey to Snokes ship all those years ago. The hand she hadn’t let stray from her sight during their training in the years following.

But Elire was never meant to be a Knight of Ren. She had been small, fragile, her words murmured, her movements defensive. To go with him, Ben had declared they must end another’s life. Zara still could not fathom that hand extinguishing even the life of a small creature, much less one of their fellow students.

Enough. She told herself. Elire is long dead, she chose her own fate.

She felt Halar calling to her, telling her to accompany the soldiers going after Kylo, as their minds needed to be cleansed of insubordination. Apparently the forceful abdication of the former Supreme Leader and Grand Marshall had caused dissent among the soldiers. Their escape was of little consequence, as they could go nowhere within Order territory or Republic territory without persecution from either organization. Kylo was less of a threat outside of the Order anyway, cut off from anyone who would be in such a state of madness as to support him.

The real issue in Zara’s opinion, was the issue of their counterpart, General Phasma. She would be a difficult institution to control, and even more difficult to replace.

Zara pulled up a screen, video feed of Phasma and General Sloane of the Academy sitting in bed together appearing. Removal would be hard, but manipulation would not be.

They were fools. All three of them.


	2. Chapter 2

_“Once a distinguished general, now a disgrace to the Order.” Halar sneered, looming above a captive Hux. The ginger was kneeling handcuffed before Halar, on the steps of the throne room. His head hung down and his usually neat hair hung limply, obscuring his face. “Now a disgrace to even your father's name.”_

_“Armitage!” Kylo screamed as Hux lifted his head to smile a dead man's smile at Halar. Words were murmured that he could not hear._

_“Armitage Hux, you are hereby executed for treason against the Supreme Leader and for betraying the Order.” A red lightsaber flashed lit up the darkness, a low hum filling the room._

_Kylo tried to reach Hux, this wasn’t how it was supposed to end._

_The lightsaber hissed, and blood stained the white uniform Hux wore. The ginger’s body was kicked to the side, and Kylo was torn away from the scene, still screaming Hux’s name._

Kylo sat up, immediately probing the area for Hux. It was detected easily, the man still asleep one floor below him and out of any imminent danger. Leaning against the wall, he got his breathing under control.

It wasn’t his first time having that nightmare, and it was not the only nightmare he’d had in the month following their escape. Moonlight from the planets five moons shone through the windows, the layers criss-crossing to form patterns that stretched from the floor to the form of Hux’s sleeping cat beside him.

“You can’t keep doing this.”

Kylo recoiled, only to realize it was Rey, hugging her knees on the bed beside him. She didn’t meet his eyes until hers had darted around the room at least once or twice.

“Did I wake you?”

“No, it’s day where I am, I think.” She glanced around. “But forget that, you need to sort out this nightmare stuff.”

“I can’t just turn off the nightmares.”

“They’re all about him. Have you two even tried talking?” She rolled her eyes.

“He lost his rank and titles because of a mistake I made, he’s a fugitive from the army he built, and he will be executed if Halar is given the chance. Hux has no interest in talking to me right now. He’s learning the Force, your kind of Force, I don’t want to interfere.”

“Wonderful.” Rey pursed her lips. “I wonder if it was-”

“He was using the light side of the Force long before you put his memories through a wash cycle.” Kylo glared. “He still hasn’t put himself together. He didn’t come back the same, and then we were thrown in prison, and now we’re here.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so invested in this unstable weasel. He just wants to be Supreme Leader but keep doing the exact same thing your current Supreme Leader is doing except it’s him giving the orders.” Rey was now sitting straight backed, her arms crossed.

“He’s only unstable because of you!”

“He’s unstable because of whatever messed up programming he went through as a kid and he can’t adapt to anything, I only saw what had been brainwashed out of him.”

“You don’t know him-”

“I do! I know him better than you, and believe me I’m not proud of it. He’s not-” They were glaring at each other with equal malice.

Kylo left the room, cutting her and the connection off. He’d seen her infrequently over the time spent here, and it ended in fighting at least half of the time. He still wanted her to turn, so he could train her to be a grey Jedi. Between himself, Hux’s improved control, and him, they could overpower the remaining Knights. If she could just understand that, but she was so caught up in whatever scheme the Resistance had concocted. The door across his room was open, a balcony overlooking the city.

The city the temple presided over nestled between a mountain barrier to one side, and a sparkling salt water lake. The temple was a spire piercing up from one of the mountains, catching moonlight from all sides. The wind coming from the ocean nipped at any exposed skin, but Kylo didn’t care.

“I can feel your nightmare and concern several floors above you.” Elire appeared beside him, pulling a blue robe further around her. “I have several substances that can block them, ensuring all here may get a good night's sleep.”

“My apologies for disturbing the peace.” He glanced down at her. Her blonde hair seemed silver under the moonlight, spilling over her shoulders.

“Unless you have a purpose to subjecting yourself to them.”

“I’m worried they’ll become the future.” Kylo stared out at the city. “I want to be prepared.”

“A valid argument. But the future is volatile.” Elire turned away from the city, cold blue eyes staring directly at him. “Thanks to my instruction, Armitage is more than capable of protecting himself, and if the rift between you two is closed I see no reason for indulging the nightmares.”

“Rift is an understatement.” Kylo hadn’t talked to Hux in weeks, only saw him infrequently, and felt his presence in the temple. Novik had left them on the planet, promising to return in a month after finishing a smuggling job in another system.

“There is a void in him.” Elire’s voice held no emotion, as if Hux were an inanimate object she’d been studying. “A void left from being held on so tight a leash, and a void left by the structure built by him and others.”

“I can’t fill the void.” Kylo shook his head. “He needs to let the Order go.”

“The Order can’t be outrun.” She shook her head. “Snoke built it too far and wide reaching, and all that power and influence is in the hands of an expansionist.”

“Halar will lose control from spreading Order resources too thin. Then we strike.”

“And what happens when you’re Supreme Leader again?”

“I don’t know.” Kylo met her gaze directly. “I don’t know but I want him there when I am. It’s supposed to be the two of us. Three counting Phasma, and he’s right, it worked. And it can work again.”

“Kylo. You cannot keep the Order going as Snoke did. It’s not right.” Elire echoed one of their first conversations since Kylo landed. She was adamant that Hux and Kylo, reclaim power, then use it to shut the Order down. “Snoke, and all the others started the Order in the ashes of the Empire, and once you retake the Order it’ll rise into something different and the cycle will continue.”

Before Kylo could retort, she cut him off.

“You’re not the only one who has visions. I’ve seen a brighter future, a future where the Order can demilitarize, and work with the remaining Republic to keep peace in the Inner and Outer Rim. Both you and Armitage can have a place in that future.”

“The Republic is corrupt.” He shook his head. “The only way is to overthrow and rebuild.”

“Snoke’s programming will be your demise, Kylo Ren. You should know better than anyone that burning and rebuilding does more harm than good.” Elire left Kylo alone with the rising sun over the lake.

10 years ago he thought he’d slaughtered Elire in cold blood on the orders of Snoke. He’d thought he’d seen Zara hunched over, holding her dead body, filled with the most emotion he’d ever seen the other woman possess.

But it had been fake. A planted memory, from Elire herself. She’d been the youngest of all of those he’d brought to Snoke, so small and fragile compared to the other younglings. Instead of being killed that day, the small and fragile girl had escaped on a stolen pod. And when Kylo had landed on this planet with Novik, that small girl was now a woman, a woman who had mastered both sides of the Force, wielding both the Dark and Light sides.

Kylo watched the sun climb above the city, as the 5 moons dropped back into the distance one by one. He should talk to Hux. Salvage what was left of their partnership.

Millicent wove through his feet, meowing insistently.

“Oh now you’re offering advice. Very helpful.” Kylo reached down to scratch her ears.


	3. Chapter 3

_ Three people stood on the side of a mountain, storm clouds filling the sky above. Before she even saw their faces, Zara knew who they were. Thunder rumbled, but not loud enough to drown out Kylo’s yell. _

_ “You betrayed the Supreme Leader!” The younger Kylo stepped forward. _

_ “We have to kill you. For going against orders.” Gloved hands removed the hood of a second figure. Zara recognized her own coarse black hair, pulled back several braids hanging down past her chin. _

_ “I did what was right!” Wind tore the hood off the figure in between Kylo and her, blonde hair spilling out. “The rest of you are just too blind to see! Snoke isn’t our master! Kylo, Ben, you have to stop this madness!” _

_ Zara felt her heart leap into her throat. _

_ Thunder rumbled again, closer to the trio this time. Elire’s hands clenched, electricity crackling around them. Kylo and Zara drew lightsabers, the humming red light intensified by the dark cover of the storm. _

_ “Ben you don’t have to do this! You could stop Snoke, and we’d all be free!” Elire yelled. “Zara! Tell him!” _

_ Then the scene shifted, and Zara was looking straight into the desperate face of the blonde. Elire’s hands were on her arms, pulling the two of them closer. The blade of her lightsaber was mere inches from its intended target, but Zara was stiff and unmoving under the gaze of those blue eyes. _

_ “Please. I thought we-” She whispered, and Zara knew she was holding back tears. _

_ “Shhhh. We did. Until you went against your orders.” Zara sheathed the lightsaber, her and Elire sinking to the ground. She tried to whisper out of earshot of Kylo. “Elire, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” _

_ It was both the first and last time she’d said those words to anyone. _

_ Zara’s grip on the blonde tightened as she watched Kylo plunge the red blade into Elire’s back, quick and clean. Elire’s head dropped onto Zara’s shoulder, her still warm body falling limp in her arms. _

_ She didn’t even scream. It had been virtually painless. Zara pushed Elire off of her, laying her on the ground. _

_ “I’m so sorry.” She murmured, smoothing blonde hair out of Elire’s pale face. _

_ “No. I’m sorry.” The body beneath her faded to dust, and suddenly Elire was behind Kylo, her hands placed over his temples. His eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled to the ground, as Zara jumped to her feet. _

_ “You-” _

_ Elire stretched out her hand, then clenched it. Zara froze, unable to move a single muscle. The blonde approached, a hand reaching for Zara’s neck. _

_ The chain Zara wore around her neck was snatched off, along with the small gold ring it held. Elire tucked the ring in one of her pockets, then pulled up her hood. _

_ “Elire.” Lightning crashed, and their former master appeared next to the woman. “You have to wipe her memory. No matter how important she was to you.” _

_ “I know.” Elire murmured, turning back to Zara. There was a searing pain in her head, and she felt herself drop to the ground. Before her vision faded, she watched Luke and Elire begin down the mountain, to a waiting pod. _

Zara’s eyes shot open, then she cursed. Of course Elire had hidden how powerful she was from the rest of them.

If she didn’t know better, she would have called it pure luck that the ship Novik had been travelling on appeared above Deltira 2. Halar, of course, had shredded the vessel right as it emerged from hyperspace. Zara, had later borrowed a stormtrooper to fly her through the wreckage. Novik had been still alive, easy to capture, and his mind easily accessible.

She’d found the name Elire in conversations between him and Kylo. A name that hadn’t left her lips in 10 years. She learned the woman was alive, and while Novik hadn’t had any direct interactions with her, she was in the Outer Rim somewhere. Inconveniently for Zara, the coordinates to the planet forgotten to Novik after surviving a blow to the head during the explosion.

But Zara felt more offended that she’d let her own memories be tampered with. She had underestimated Elire, a grave mistake on the part back then. But she’d grown in strength and general competence.

How powerful had Elire grown in the past 10 years? A question she pushed to the back of her mind in favor of preparing for the menial day ahead of her.

Elire stared over the lake that lay next to the city. For the past month she’d been closing in on Zara, her curiosity about the other woman peaked by Kylo’s arrival. She’d found Zara easily enough, her proximity to Halar made it hard for her to hide. He wasn’t exactly conservative with his use of the Force, or quiet about it. It soothed a void in Elire’s heart to know Zara was safe. Despite the confiscation of the ring, she still felt a part of her was left on that mountain with the other woman. She’d overpowered Zara then, but didn’t doubt for a second that the dark haired woman had grown in strength since their last encounter.

And now Zara was aware of her existence, Elire was prepared to face her again.

Zara felt her usual boredom creep in as she recited the lines used to recondition soldiers and officers. A repetitive and disengaging job, but since Halar assumed command of the Order, the rate of soldiers sent to reconditioning had increased.

Previously, General Phasma had overseen all stormtrooper related programs, including the reconditioning program, but the conditions of the removal of her counterparts prompted a strong distrust between her and the Knights. This distrust lead Halar to place Zara as supervisor to the General, and most reconditioning was required to be performed by her.

“Lieutenant Mitaka,” Phasma read the next name on her datapad, then faltered. “What are you doing here?”

The man didn't look at either of them as he shuffled in. Phasma’s eyes opened just slightly, Zara caught the small movements of the other woman's jaw clenching.

“Lieutenant state your business here.” Zara did not have time for personal conflicts of interest. If he was here, it was for a reason.

“I’m here for the misdemeanor of insubordination.”

Zara clicked her tongue in disapproval and gathered the Force to begin the process of rewiring his mind to be more loyal to the Order, the words exiting her mouth on autopilot.

Phasma did not trust any of the knights. Not after how quickly they betrayed Kylo.

Her new leader Halar reminded her of Brendol a little too much, with his heavy handed, dictatorial style of rule. He marched on planets too quickly, discarding many aspects of the careful invasion and exploitation method Phasma and Hux had perfected under Snoke. There were two other Knights that she knew very little about. One led their attack on the fronts, and the other seemed to have no job beyond following Zara around. Then there was Zara. A woman she hadn’t trusted since Kylo had told her Snoke’s title for her.

A woman who could get whatever she wanted, manipulate the brain of anyone weak enough to let her in, and alter anything she saw unfit, leaving no trace unless she wanted to. Phasma was no Force user, and Kylo was enough for her. Zara could not be trusted, her loyalties seemed to lie only with herself.

The final Knight had been the sniper that had helped Kylo and Hux escape. He interested Phasma. He’d supposedly died from being shot on sight upon hyper-jumping back into Order territory. His ship had been completely destroyed as well, with no hope of backtracing the hyperjump. The report however, came directly from Zara, and so Phasma had good reason to believe the man could be alive and imprisoned or free somewhere, with knowledge of Hux and Kylo.

If her every move wasn’t being closely monitored, Phasma would have exercised what little power she had left to find him.

She hadn’t even been able to talk to Cal about anything other than business since Kylo and Hux’s escape. Nothing between them was against Order law, but Phasma knew she was under surveillance, and as soon as they were found out, Halar would exploit that weakness. She’d lost Hux and Kylo, and refused to lose Cal as well.

Plans for the future had yet to be laid, Phasma set her current objective to hold out as long as possible and keep as far under the radar as she could. She would keep her troops ready, until needed.


	4. Chapter 4

Hux had learned pretty quickly where the best cigarettes in the city could be bought, putting him back into the comfortable rhythm of smoking. Elire gave him access to the temple’s account, as long as he didn’t make any large purchases. . The money came from the income generated by the private and public schools hosted in the temple. Elire personally taught the three or four Force-sensitive children attending temple schools, while an assembly of other priests and priestesses taught the other schools.

Hux avoided them as much as possible.

He also avoided Ren as much as possible. When they’d left Deltira 2, something had shifted between them. Hux remembered completely dissociating on the flight to this planet, remembering only fragments of conversation between him and Ren, while he attempted to comfort him in Ren’s own strange way. One of his most cognisant moments had been during one of the hyperjumps, when Ren’s hand had ended up very briefly in his own. , It could have been a complete accident, but given Ren’s discomfort with hyper jumping, Hux knew it had probably been a small gesture of comfort. 

Hux knew they still held the same goal, of retaking command of the Order and leading it to victory. But the rebel girl still held too much influence over him.. Every time the subject was broached with him, it involved Ren turning her to their side. Even if she helped them achieve their goals, Hux would have her disposed one her usefulness reached a limit. Cut off that part of his life, and he’d hold Ren in his entirety, and the Order would grow stronger.

“Are you going to the city?” The appearance of Millie at his feet preceded the appearance of Ren in his doorway.

“Yes.” He picked up Millie and set her in the window, running a hand down her back.

“Good. We need to talk.”

“Fine.” The air was tense between them, and Hux despised it.

 

“We can’t let Halar advance the Order any further.”

“Can the girl be of any use?” Hux’s voice held a disdain Kylo chose to ignore.

“She won’t tell me where the Resistance is, but might tell me the Orders movements. She’s also not that fond of you at the moment.”

“The feelings mutual.”

Kylo thought Rey’s dislike of Hux was justified, the bruise on her back was still healing from their last in-person meeting.

“I can’t guarantee her as a reliable  resource.”

“While you work on that, I’ll work on seeking out possible donors, and with any luck they can provide us with ships and men. After that we’ll focus on taking out your Knights.”

Kylo recoiled at them being called his Knights. He’d come to the realization that they’d never been his. Even if he’d wanted to retort, Hux was ignoring him the entire time they were in the store. He didn’t speak a single word in the space it took to buy several packs of cigarettes, open one of them, place one white papered stick between his lips and light it. They started back for the tower, Hux’s cigarette smoke drifting behind them.

“Just use the girl. She’ll have information.” Hux glanced up at Kylo, eyes tracing the scar along his cheek.

“As much as she’s willing to tell me.” Silence fell over them again. Kylo could tell Hux was deep in calculation, 

“Good, you’re together.” Elire approached them when they returned to the temple grounds. Her arms were crossed, blonde hair tied back, exposing the sharp lines of her face. “Some complications have arisen.”

 

The Knights convened, their numbers reduced once again without Novik. But instead of sitting in a circle as it usually was, Zara, Banon, and the projection of Dario all knelt in front of Halar’s throne.

Dario wore a smirk on his face that was a little too self righteous in Zara’s opinion. It was rare he didn’t wear a helmet, but every time he didn’t, Zara regretted having to look at him. His face was scarred heavily from several explosions, and when he grinned it was, in her opinion, the epitome of how ugly humans could look. She recoiled especially as Halar praised him for the expansion of the Order into the remaining Republic systems.

“There is of course, the problem of Kylo.” Banon interrupted, and both Halar and Dario’s faces shifted to thinly veiled disdain. “He will try to retake power.”

“He is inconsequential.” Halar almost laughed. “Besides, he’s weak. If we take Hux, Kylo will bend to our will easily.”

“But they’re both at large.” Banon pointed out. “You won’t be able to use Hux against Kylo unless he’s in custody.”

“Then why don’t you go after them yourself.” Dario gestured at the bald man. Banon frowned, and Zara felt the ghost of amusement at the noninterventionist having to take a side.

“Yes, Zara will continue overseeing the reconditioning, and Banon will hunt for our fugitives.” Halar’s grin made her only slightly uncomfortable. “You’ll fly out tomorrow, and I’ll have troopers and ships assigned to you.”

“Yes sir.” Banon’s voice was deceptively neutral as he inclined his head to his Supreme Leader.

 

“Novik is gone?” Hux watched Kylo’s face darken with concern.

“His ship was destroyed upon leaving hyperspace. He’s not coming back.” Elire’s voice was level, but her eyes were filled with the same worry. They were in one of the offices of the temple, away from any potential interruptions.

And Hux started rethinking how they would leave the planet on their own. Kylo was clearly in distress about the sniper, eyes glazed over as they wandered between the maps on the walls. He wouldn’t remember anything beyond the loss of the other man.

“We need a ship, preferably with a hyperdrive that can withstand being shot at a few times.” Hux stared down at Elire, who laced her fingers together in thought.

“All interplanetary travel goes through the government here. I can petition the government for a vehicle, and check the import and export schedules for this region. There’s no guarantee Parliament can spare anything, but if you two can leave via a transport ship, then you can acquire one from a different planet.”

Elire’s face softened when she turned from Hux to Kylo, and she took his hands in hers.

“Kylo, I saw Novik’s ship be destroyed, but not him. There’s no evidence to suggest he’s dead. You can go find him.” Kylo nodded, pulling away from the smaller woman. Elire exchanged one last glance to Hux before leaving them alone.

Now that finding a ship was out of his hands, it was time to deal with Kylo. 

“Ren. Ren look at me.” Hux hated being shorter than the other man. He found himself in a constant state of wanting to grab Kylo’s collar and pull him down to his level to ensure he listened to Hux. “I know the sniper was a friend but you have to focus.”

“I shouldn’t have ignored Halar. That was my first mistake.” Kylo muttered, staring past Hux. The ginger almost sighed, imagining the lengths of Ren’s mistakes he could go on about, then deciding now was not the time. 

“If anything it’s my fault, I should have kept surveillance on them after Snoke’s death.” It technically hadn’t been Hux’s job, but keeping the Supreme Leader from doing anything stupid had been his job. Letting the Knights do what they want without surveillance for so long, had been a stupid move on both their parts.

“No, the Knights were Snoke’s little project. I was the most complicit, and got the privilege of being the chosen apprentice, while the rest were allowed to plot and scheme from the side.”

“If you’d kept them close instead of Phasma and I, they still would have plotted against you, just from the inside.”

“It seems keeping you close was a wise decision in retrospect then.”

Hux allowed a small feeling of pride at those words. He may not have agreed with all of Kylo’s decisions, but he never strayed in loyalty to the Supreme Leader.

“Is it truly loyalty if you despise who you are loyal to?” Kylo was reading his mind again, and Hux didn’t bother to get angry anymore. His dark eyes finally met Hux’s.

“I never despised you. Disagreed with, yes. But never despised.” The words were soft spoken, but the shift in Kylo’s expression spoke volumes. Hux deliberately ignored his own internal reaction, filling his mind with other plans as he left Ren alone in the office.


	5. Chapter 5

### 

“Here's a list of Order-occupied outposts, and a map of planets the Order operates on.” The hologram from the datapad was switched from a list to a 3D map of the planets. The glow from the projection was the only light in the room, tinting Hux green as he traced certain routes through the map.

“Once we get a ship, I can determine which supply routes we can intercept.”

Kylo watched the green light mix with red from the highlighted trade routes.

Lucky for them, Hux remembered most of the information about the routes between the main planets and outposts run by the Order. Elire had provided the technology, and it took Hux almost 48 hours to fill them with information related to the Order. At the 36 hour mark, one of the priests had kicked them out of the conference-style room they’d been inhabiting, and had set up in Kylo’s room instead.

And then he’d fallen asleep in Kylo’s bed. It wasn’t on purpose, but Hux intentionally not sleeping for those 48 hours had definitely been on purpose. Kylo’s room didn’t have a desk, so the bed had been the only option besides the floor.

There was enough heat radiating from Hux, Kylo didn’t really think he needed a blanket. But he pulled the blankets over the ginger anyway, scooping Millie from the floor to place at his side. She purred, and nuzzled her owner, curling up. Kylo couldn’t help but smile. Thank god the man was getting at least some sleep before they left the planet.

Kylo resolved to sleep later, since his bed was currently occupied. Only two of the moons were full tonight, and the city seemed more dormant than other nights. The water of the lake still glittered in the darkness, and Kylo focused on it, before sitting and closing his eyes to meditate.

Tracking the breathing, inhale, exhale. He could feel the glow of Elire, several floors below working with the Force. He could feel Hux asleep, but the man wasn’t dreaming tonight.

“Well this is a surprise.” He opened his eyes to see Rey mirroring his posture. She smirked. “You’re visiting me tonight it seems.”

“It’s night where you are?” He looked past her into the empty room they sat in.

“Yea, we’re on this huge planet, and it has rings.” Her face lit up in excitement. “Look-” She pointed outside a large, metal framed window to his left, and Kylo saw the starry sky sliced in two by a curved beam of light, arcing across the sky.

“Is the entire Resistance here?”

“No,” She shook her head. “Just the few of us needed to evacuate the planet. We intercepted communication that revealed this one was going to be raided soon. The raids have been increasing, every Outer Rim planet who knows of the Order is terrified. Even planets under their control have been stripped of every resource.”

Kylo frowned. Halar couldn’t be that stupid could he? Not only through letting communication slip, but overtaxing Order planets was a bad move. Unless- the Dreadnought. Halar was trying to staff the Dreadnought as soon as possible.

“What other information on the Order do you have?” Hux’s words echoed in his head. Get as much information as possible.

“The remaining Republic systems are still holding out. After Hosnian-” She shook her head. “They can’t help anyone except themselves.”

“So they’re decentralized.” Kylo nodded.

“I guess.” She shrugged. “We haven’t been able to get aid from them.”

“Leia should be able to.”

“We’re trying.”

 

In all honesty, Leia had tried multiple times to contact the Republic, with no success. And although the Resistance was close to running out of options, Leia wouldn’t even approve of her talking to Ben.

Rey watched his eyes scan the room. She knew she was so close to turning him, his presence comfortable when they weren’t fighting. They both wanted to bring peace to the galaxy, but she had to keep him from becoming Supreme Leader again. He was so close to being on her side, if she offered enough help, they could work together and he could come to her side.

The only problem was Hux. The little weaselly man that orbited Ben, protecting him like a vicious dog.

A combination of Poe and Leia’s words, not hers. If she could get him away from Hux, then Ben was hers.

“Sort out the nightmare stuff?”

“I think so.” He glanced over his shoulder out of reflex, only seeing the empty wall behind them. “We talked, he’s still relatively mentally stable.”

Rey snorted. “Impossible.”

“Well, as mentally stable as he can be. When are the other raids that you know of?”

She frowned for a second. They only held intel of the one, but if Ben could get to the planet in time, then maybe-

No, it was too early for them to meet in person again.

“No, and if you get any intel on scheduled raids, you’ll tell me right? I can save some of those children.”

“They’ll only become Order recruits later.”

“Ben-” The word was out of her mouth before she could think. “The raids are becoming brutal, leaving more dead and injured than before. Not to mention the cruelty of them in the first place!”

“Perhaps an information exchange,” He emphasized the final word, and Rey could tell she’d spiked his temper. “Would be beneficial to both of us in the future. Until then, I have to find an army.”

“Good luck.” Rey watched the sun start to climb from the horizon, light bouncing off the planets rings. Ben was gone when her gaze returned to the room around her.

 

Zara watched Banon drop books into a crate, cursing. He didn’t go anywhere without them, didn’t trust them in the hands of anyone except himself.

“Careful, you shouldn’t speak out against the Supreme Leader.” She smirked. “It’s treason.”

He stopped tossing books to give her a cool look.

She laughed.

“Have fun trying to find them. Kylo’s less stupid than you might think.”

“It’s a trap.” Banon shook his head. “I’m not going to find them, and Halar will use it against me.”

“Wait-” Zara pursed her lips. “Don’t I recall you betting FOR Halar just a month ago? But as soon as you have to do any work, or something else besides rereading whatever the hell these are.” She gestured at the books. “Suddenly Halar is the worst. You said yourself, you wanted to watch what he did with the Order, whether good or bad.”

“Keyword watch.”

She laughed again.

“Welcome to having to participate Banon.”

He left the planet the next morning, leaving Zara as the only Knight besides Halar on the compound.

Halar was waiting for the Dreadnought, started by Hux, to be finished. And he was forcing Zara to wait with him. She’d rather be with Banon, but Halar had dismantled the partnership system the Knights had relied on for years. She could sense from the minds of the Order officers that he was dismantling a lot of things. Every time she walked through the compound it was a cacophony of fear and alarm among them.

But they still obeyed, mostly. Zara’s reconditioning with the Force was more effective than their previous program, however draining it was for her.

 

By the time Hux had slept a full 8 hours, Kylo had gotten half as much sleep, and set their departure time for that afternoon. Elire had arranged transport on a government ship exporting raw materials to another system. The planet they would land on was known for a flourishing black market, which was to Hux and Kylo’s advantage.

Elire was with her students when she saw Hux and Kylo off. Three round faces, all with intense yet curious gazes, watched their every move.

Kylo didn’t dislike kids as much as Hux did. The ginger held Millicent protectively, eyeing the students as if they’d bite given the first chance.

“She should stay here.” Millicent purred when Kylo scratched her chin.

“Absolutely not. I will not leave her in the care of children.” Hux held her even more protectively.

“Do you have to take the damn cat?” Kylo sighed.

“I’m not going to leave her here with children!” Hux pulled Millie away from Kylo.

“You won’t be leaving her with children, you’ll be leaving her with a fully grown adult-” Kylo pointed at Elire. “It’ll be safer for her. I don’t want to leave her behind either, but trust me, please, it’ll be safer for her if we just come back for her.”

Hux was silent, as if standing there long enough would make Kylo drop the subject.

“She’ll be taken care of. We’ve had temple cats before.” Elire offered. “Her safety is guaranteed here on temple grounds.”

“We’ll come back for her.” Kylo assured him, putting a hand on the other man's arm. “You will see her again. Alive.”

Millie wriggled, and Hux reluctantly, with every ounce of hesitation he could manage, set her down.

“If she is harmed in any way-” Hux muttered under his breath. “I will personally make sure this planet is wiped off the map.”

Millie rubbed against his ankles once, before trotting back to the temple.

“Are you two ready?” One of the government workers demanded from the entrance to the ship.

Hux glared at being addressed in such a rude fashion, and Kylo shushed him before any bitter words could be said, pushing him into the ship gently.

“Kylo-” Elire’s call held him back for a second. “Your nightmares.”

“Premonitions?”

“Halar is very powerful but also unpredictable.”

“I know.”

“And Zara will defend him as long as he continues to force her to. She will be the prelude to the final fight.”

“I know, I was her partner after you. I know how she works.”

“You won’t fight her.” Elire shook her head. “When the time comes and you know a battle is inevitable, call me and I will.”

“Can you even-”

“She is my fight.”

**Author's Note:**

> Mamma Mia, here I go again, feedback is welcome and appreciated


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